Is It Worth It to Buy a Treadmill Protection Plan?

If you’ve recently purchased a treadmill, or are considering doing so, congratulations on prioritizing your health and fitness! Having the ability to work out from the comfort of your home is a smart choice.

However, the moment that you commit to buying a treadmill, the store you’re buying from will probably push you hard to buy an extended warranty or protection plan. But is that treadmill service plan worth it? And if so, should you buy one from the big box retailer, or are there better options to consider?

Treadmills are expensive investments, and they’re intended to last for many years. They are made from durable materials with designs meant to stand abuse from tough workouts. That’s part of what makes them worth the investment.

The only problem? Treadmills, by their very design, have many moving parts and can break down over time. After all, 150 to 200 pounds (or more) of repeated footfalls crash down on them day after day, mile after mile. Not only that, modern treadmills contain intricate electronics and some even include screens with tablet-like features.

The point here is this: there are a lot of things on a treadmill that can and do break. Once the manufacturer’s warranty expires, you don’t want to be on the hook for an expensive service call every time something happens. According to Thumbtack, most repair companies charge between $100 to $200 per hour, not including the cost of parts. A new motor costs around $500 and a new belt costs between $200 to $300!

Thankfully, you can extend the life of your home treadmill investment with an Upsie protection plan. Upsie’s plans are significantly more affordable than service contracts from retailers. For example, an Upsie protection plan for a $1,999.99 Bowflex treadmill costs just $4.99/mo compared to Best Buy's $269.99 cost at the register. That's almost $100 in savings, plus Upsie lets you spread out the cost to help you budget it better! Best of all, Upsie doesn’t charge a deductible for fitness equipment claims. This all could save you $700 or more on repairs.

So, because of the way treadmills work and the way they are used, we say treadmill protection plans are definitely worth it.

The specifics of coverage will vary from plan to plan, so it’s a good idea to be certain of what’s in a plan before you buy. A decade ago or more, there were lots of sketchy protection plans on the market - plan policies were riddled with exceptions and fine print. This created a bad reputation for extended manufacturer warranties, service plans and protection plans, according to CNBC. Thankfully, better legislation has run many of those bad actors out of business, so this is less common today.

Still, not every protection plan covers the same things. At Upsie, protection plans are comprehensive, affordable, and transparent. All fitness protection plans cover the following categories:

Upsie treadmill protection plans cover major areas of potential damage and failure. As a result, you won’t be left hanging with an expensive repair. That said, it’s a good idea to make sure your treadmill is actually broken before starting a claim. Many common treadmill problems can be fixed or avoided entirely with effective home maintenance.

Although we can’t speak for all service plan providers, Upsie’s claims and repair process is simple. If something goes wrong with your protected fitness equipment, simply log in to Upsie’s website to start your claim 24/7. Customers can make up to two claims per rolling 12 months.

Fitness equipment is obviously too bulky for you to mail in, so Upsie sends the technician to you. If the machine can be repaired, it will be (we are big proponents of saving the environment through repair!)

If you have a covered claim and the service technician determines that your machine is unrepairable, Upsie will replace it. It’s as simple as that!

Customers can purchase an Upsie protection plan for treadmills and other fitness equipment bought within the last 4 YEARS. Simply visit the fitness protection plan page and fill in your information to get started.

All plans are $4.99 per month and are far lower than Upsie’s competitors. And the best part? There are no deductibles on Upsie fitness equipment protection plans!

Yes! Even if you are a second owner of a treadmill, you can get a warranty for it IF it was originally purchased by the ORIGINAL owner within the past 4 years. All protection plans have an initial 90 day waiting period for claims to help us ensure it was indeed working when you first purchased the device and the protection plan. This helps us keep down costs for everyone!

On the other hand, when you sell your treadmill, there is no need to transfer your plan as the new buyer can also sign up directly with Upsie to protect it.